20/10/2006
Continuing Conflict Hinders UN Humanitarian Operations in Afghanistan

Insecurity throughout much of Afghanistan, particularly in southern, south-eastern and eastern Regions, continues to impede United Nations humanitarian operations in the war-torn country, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports in its latest update.

Missions have been suspended in nearly all regions, while there have been three separate attacks on WFP commercial vehicles carrying food along the main corridor linking Quetta in Pakistan, through Kandahar, to Heart, threatening to disrupt the flow of drought relief supplies to the west of the country.

During the past week there have been numerous attacks on military and government representatives, some fatal. During the past week WFP assisted 129,000 people across the country. This compares with 164,000 three weeks ago.

On a more optimistic note, for the past month WFP, in cooperation with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO), has assisted the Education and Health Ministries to plan a nationwide de-worming campaign for parasite control among all children of primary school age, whether in or out of school. The campaign will be launched in
the first week of November.